Posted on March 11th, 2010
Sexual harassment claims by men are becoming more common, according to a report released by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The percentage of sexual harassment claims filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by men has doubled from 8 percent to 16 percent between 19990 and 2009. While women still file the vast majority of sexual harassment claims with the commission, lawyers for the EEOC say there has been a noticeable increase in complaints by men. Men filed more than 2,000 claims with the commission last year — only 12,700 cases were filed in 2009 total.
An attorney of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Office of Legal Counsel, Ernest Haffner, said “It’s certainly possible that there’s more sexual harassment of men going on, but it could just be that more men are coming forward and complaining about it.”
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, please contact a San Antonio employment attorney of Melton & Kumler, LLP, by calling 800-681-6932.
Posted on March 11th, 2010
A New York Congressman has resigned amid sexual harassment accusations.
The former democratic Rep. Eric Massa is facing a House ethics investigation into allegations of sexual harassment made by his staff. Massa was accused of groping a male staffer, but the former congressman maintains his actions were not harassment.
“I did nothing sexual…I did things that were wrong,” Massa said in an interview on The Glenn Beck Program. “Now there saying I groped a male staffer. Yeah, I did. Not only did I grope him, I tickled him until he couldn’t breathe and four guys jumped on top of me. It was my 50th birthday and it was kill the old guy.”
After the harassment accusations surfaced last week, Massa suggested that the ethics investigation had been orchestrated by House Democratic leaders because he voted against a healthcare bill in November. House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md) called Massa’s claim “absurd.”
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, please contact a San Antonio employment attorney of Melton & Kumler, LLP, by calling 800-681-6932.
Posted on March 3rd, 2010
SleeveCo Inc. has agreed to pay a $200,000 settlement in a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former employee.
The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the Georgia-based sleeve label manufacturer on behalf of Tammy Stratton. Stratton alleged that SleeveCo subjected her to sexual harassment and a hostile work environment due to her gender. In the lawsuit Stratton claimed that a manager at the company touched her inappropriately, rubbed his body against hers and made numerous sexual remarks.
The suit also claimed the manager threatened to “blow (Stratton’s) head off” after he overheard her complaining about his conduct. Stratton says, after threatening her, the manager took steps to terminate her employment and she was fired.
The $200,000 settlement allowed SleeveCo to deny any liability or wrongdoing.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, please contact a San Antonio employment attorney of Melton & Kumler, LLP, by calling 800-681-6932.
Posted on March 3rd, 2010
A sexual harassment lawsuit, filed by an employee, against the United Nations was dismissed Tuesday.
Cynthia Brzak accused U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers, of improperly touching her during a meeting in Geneva in 2003. According to a report from a U.N. internal investigation, Brzak’s claims were substantiated but there was insufficient proof for action against Lubbers. Lubbers soon resigned. Brzak then sued the United Nations, Lubbers and six others for discrimination and retaliation.
The ruling by the New York court of appeals upheld a decision by a lower court that the United Nations had immunity under the 1946 Convention on Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. The decision said that U.N. officials named in the lawsuit have diplomatic immunity, and could not be sued.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, please contact a San Antonio employment attorney of Melton & Kumler, LLP, by calling 800-681-6932.
Posted on February 25th, 2010
A California appellate court reversed a $6.2 million verdict agianst the city of Los Angeles in a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a black lesbian firefighter.
The 2nd District Court of Appeal overturned a lower court decision in a case brought by Brenda Lee against the city of Los Angeles. Lee Claimed her superiors at the fire department yelled and made derogatory comments about her, as well as putting her through drills without proper safety precautions. She also claimed someone urinated in her mouthwash.
The appeals court found that Lee failed to pursue all administrative remedies following her termination in 2005. She claimed she was placed on unpaid leave “under the pretext that she was psychologically unfit to be a firefighter.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, please contact the San Antonio employment lawyers of Melton & Kumler, LLP, by calling 800-681-6932.
Posted on February 25th, 2010
A jury in Kentucky has returned a $150,000 verdict in favor of a woman who was sexually harassed while employed at Rifle Coal Co.
Sandy Couch was hired by Rifle Coal Co. as a flagger on a road construction project in January 2005. Couch claims that the job was fine, until she was assigned to a new supervisor, saying “Another guy started telling me what to do and how to do it , and the sexual harassment began from this new supervisor toward me and the other two women employees.”
The new supervisor became increasingly aggressive with the harassment, at one point grabbing Couch’s breast. “I asked him if he knew what the word ‘no’ meant,” Sandy said.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, please contact the San Antonio employment lawyers of Melton & Kumler, LLP, by calling 800-681-6932.
Posted on February 19th, 2010
A billionaire couple from New York is being sued by their former assistant for sexual harassment.
The lawsuit, filed by 47 year-old William Gamble in Manhattan Supreme Court, alleges that billionaire Philip Falcone’s wife Lisa Maria subjected him to homophobic comments, repeatedly hit on him and physically abused him when he rebuffed her advances. Gamble was hired to maintain the couple’s five homes.
According to court documents, there were problems from the start. During his first interview Lisa Maria allegedly asked Gamble if he was gay, “uncomfortably replying in the affirmative, Falcone thereafter saw fit to utter homophobic comments directed at gay people in general and [Gamble] in particular.” the filing says.
The filing goes on to say that on March 27, 2009 “a visibly inebriated Falcone confronted and assaulted [Gamble]…forcibly pushing her hand down his pants to grab his genitals… When rebuffed, Falcone struck [Gamble] three times with her hand forcefully enough to leave deep bruises on his abdomen.”
A spokesperson for the Falcone family said “This is an absolutely false, baseless lawsuit which is nothing more than a transparent attempt by a disgruntled former employee, let go after two months, to extract money…Phil and Lisa Maria have zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind and any suggestion to the contrary is completely untrue, as are all the other allegations in the complaint.”
If you have been the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, please contact the San Antonio employment lawyers of Melton & Kumler, LLP, by calling 800-681-6932.
Posted on February 18th, 2010
A woman in West Virginia is suing the state correctional system after she claims she was sexually harassed during her incarceration.
Jacqueline Dennis is suing the West Virginia Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority, Western Regional Jail, and the estate of a correctional officer she claims sexually harassed, sexually abused, and sexually assaulted her while she was a prisoner at the Western Regional Jail. According to the complaint filed January 27 in Kanawha Circuit Court, Dennis has suffered anxiety, humiliation, annoyance and inconvenience; invasion of privacy; emotional distress; pain and suffering; mental anguish, and loss of her ability to enjoy life. She is also seeking compensation for future medical and pharmaceutical expense.
Dennis’ attorney, Matthew J. Woelfel, said he will seek compensatory and punitive damages as well. A hearing is scheduled for later this month.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, the San Antonio employment lawyers of Melton & Kumler, LLP, can inform you of your rights and the best strategies for protecting them. Please call 800-681-6932 today.
Posted on February 12th, 2010
The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission must pay $4.5 million in attorney fees to a trucking firm in Cedar Rapids for a lawsuit that alleged female drivers were subjected to sexual harassment.
The award follows an October ruling by a judge which rejected the claims of the EEOC that CRST Van Expedited Inc. subjected women to sexual harassment and improper touching when paired with male drivers. United States District Judge Linda Reade ruled that she was dismissing the case because doing otherwise “would ratify a ’sue first, ask questions later’ litigation strategy on the part of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.”
The EEOC was ordered to pay CRST’s legal fees because the lawsuit imposed an unnecessary burden on the court and the company.
If you have been the victim of harassment or discrimination in the workplace of if you feel you have been treated unfairly by an employer, please contact the San Antonio employment lawyers of Melton & Kumler, LLP by calling 800-681-6932.
Posted on February 9th, 2010
A California company named in a workplace discrimination lawsuit and a sexual harassment lawsuit filed in Los Angeles by the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has settled both matters.
According to a statement released by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Wednesday, Landwin Management Inc., which was hired to run the Hilton Hotel in San Gabriel California, has agreed to pay $500,000 total to the plaintiffs in both lawsuits. The Management company also agreed to enact changes in policy and abide by a three-year consent decree.
The two agreements will settle the discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuits filed in Los Angeles County in 2007.
In the first lawsuit alleged that when Landwin was contracted to manage the hotel, its Chinese owner replaced non-Chinese banquet servers with less-qualified Chinese workers.
The second lawsuit was filed on behalf of several female employees, alleging that females were targets of verbal abuse in the workplace and Landwin ignored complaints about the offending supervisor.
If you have been the victim of harassment or discrimination in the workplace or if you feel you have been treated unfairly by an employer, please contact the San Antonio employment lawyers of Melton & Kumler, LLP by calling 800-681-6932.
